This invention is directed to information systems and, in particular, to an information system which includes a portable programmable information device such as a hand-held calculator, wristwatch or the like, and an external station which can, at least, program the portable device and receive data therefrom, and an interface which can be coupled therebetween for effecting the bi-directional transfer of data and programs therebetween.
Conventional small-sized portable information devices include, for example, wristwatches, hand-held calculators and credit-card calculators. These devices are becoming smaller in size and provide a plurality of functions due to the continuing advances being made in the development of semiconductor technology. However, the functions which these devices can perform are predetermined and heretofore it has not been possible for a user to program new and different functions which the device can perform. With small-sized portable computers which the user can program in part, programming can be effected through a keyboard on the computer itself, and hence the size thereof becomes necessarily larger thereby making it difficult to carry around. Attempts to reduce the size of the keyboard results in inconvenience in programming the device.
Conventional small-sized portable information devices include, for example, programmable electronic calculators such as the YHP-25c and the TI-58c as well as wristwatches. Although the functions available on these devices are highly advanced, the programming of such functions is conventionally corrected, edited or recorded according to a pre-memorized program in the portable information device itself.
Programming by higher level languages is preferrable so that the user can effectively utilize the advanced functions. Where programming is done by a higher level language, it is required that the small-sized portable information device should have such functions as correction and edition of the program which are not required at the time of program performance. While it is of course desirable to have a portable information device which is small-sized, the conventional devices cannot use higher level languages. Additionally, program development is inconvenient since the programming is effected through a keyboard and the display of information occurs on the information device itself.
The present invention eliminates the foregoing difficulties and provides means for enabling the user to program a small-sized portable information device and also provides a system for effecting data processing in a small-sized portable information device. Accordingly, an information system which includes a portable programmable device and an external station for programming, transferring and receiving information from the portable device through an interface, is desired.